SAN ANTONIO – An employee at a far West Side Wendy's made a startling discovery when he got out of work early Saturday morning.
Chris Cardoza had just finished work at the Wendy's off of West Military Drive and Highway 90 when he saw a running vehicle with no one inside. Cardoza said he and his coworker observed the car for approximately five minutes before taking a closer look.
That's when they found a crying infant and a sleeping toddler in the back seat of the car, he said.
Cardoza, an expectant father, jumped into action and called police. He began recording on his cellphone in disbelief.
"I came out my work after work and there's just this black car, chillin' by itself, running," Cardoza is heard saying in the video. "We look in it, and there's two (expletive) babies. Two babies. Nobody's even in here."
He said he was worried about the safety of the children because the infant was red in the face, crying.
Cardoza said he called police and authorities arrived in a matter of minutes, along with the parents of the two children. Cardoza said he was told the mother of the children received help fixing her tire, and the man helping her got into the car after fixing it and drove off.
He said he suspects the person who stole the vehicle didn't realize the children were inside and abandoned the car at the Wendy's when he discovered the kids.
Police confirmed that they received a call for a theft of a vehicle around the same time and in the same area Cardoza discovered the car but were unable to provide further detail on the incident.
Cardoza posted a second video of the parents being reunited with their two children. He said the kids' parents thanked him and his friend for calling police and were overcome with emotion after the ordeal.
The mother of the children can be heard crying while holding her children, assuring them this would never happen again.